Police eye 5 suspects in La Union mayor slay

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking at five persons of interest (PoI) behind the killing of Mayor Alexander Buquing of Sudipen, La Union, on Monday.

Senior Supt. Herminio Tadeo, Ilocos Region police officer- in- charge, said on Thursday in Camp Crame in Quezon City that their investigation was based on statements by witnesses.

He added they now have a lead in the ambush of the mayor and his group in Bangar town.

Buquing, his driver Boni Depdepen and Police Officer 2 Rolando Juanbe, who just hitched a ride home in the mayor’s Toyota Hi-Lux vehicle, were declared dead at the hospital hours after the incident.

“We have identified [five] persons of interest based on the accounts. We can’t divulge [ anything] as investigation is still ongoing,” Tadeo said.

He added that they were looking at personal grudge that might have involved business and politics as the possible motive for the killing.

Tadeo cited political tensions in La Union. PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde said they are checking on all election hotspots in the country as part of their preparation for next year’s mid-term elections.

Officer-in- Charge Eduardo Año of the Department of the Interior and Local Government earlier said they were planning to declare La Union as an “election hotspot” after the killing of Buquing.

Buquing’s wife and Sudipen Vice Mayor Wendy Joy Buquing survived the ambush.

Buquing is the 12th mayor killed under the Duterte administration.

Out of the 18 cases of slain local top officials, the PNP has solved 11 cases as of October 2.

The latest murder solved was that of Vice Mayor Alex Lubigan of Trece Martires City, Cavite, in which the PNP tagged Mayor Melandres de Sagun as one of the suspects.